COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 10th / 11th July 2021

The UK added 31,772 cases today and now has reported a total of 5,121,245 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,114,234 tests yesterday.

The counter says 45,881,721 people (87.1% of UK adults) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 34,764,511 people (66%) had received 2 doses.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 26 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 128,425 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 277,892 (+576) cases and 5,006 losses of life.

There have now been a total of 187,486,594 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 4,046,485. Already 171,397,639 people have recovered.

Public Health England Variant Surveillance has some figures on Delta Variant and vaccine efficacy against hospitalisation, and loss of life:
Up until June 21st, 1,904 people had been admitted to hospital in England with confirmed Delta Variant.
Of those hospitalised, 1,283 were under age 50
- 987 (77%) were unvaccinated, plus 106 (8%) less than 21 days after dose 1.
- 118 (9%) 21 or more days after their first dose of vaccine
- 48 (4%) fully vaccinated
Of those hospitalised, 615 were 50 or over.
- 195 (32 per cent) were unvaccinated, plus 11 (2%) less than 21 days after dose 1
- 140 (23%) 21 or more days after their first dose of vaccine
- 265 (43%) fully vaccinated.
Up until June 21st, 257 people with Delta Variant in England died within 28 days of a positive test.
Of those who died, 26 were under the age of 50
- 21 unvaccinated
- 3 were 21 days or more after one dose of vaccine
- 2 fully vaccinated
Of those who died, 231 were aged 50 or over
- 71 were unvaccinated, plus one person within 21 days of their first dose.
- 41 were 21 days or more after one dose of vaccine
- 116 fully vaccinated.
Bear in mind that the older you are, the more likely you are to be fully vaccinated, but also the more susceptible you are to becoming seriously ill. You can clearly see the effect of vaccinations, especially if you look at the figures for people aged under 50. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 9th June 2021

The UK added 35,707 cases today and now has reported a total of 5,058,093 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,114,234 tests yesterday.
Between 3 July 2021 and 9 July 2021, 206,046 people had a confirmed positive test result. This shows an increase of 30.7% compared to the previous 7 days.

The counter says 45,697,875 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 34,374,246 people had received 2 doses and will be considered fully vaccinated 14 days after that 2nd dose.

2,731 people were in hospital yesterday, Thursday 8th July, with 417 using a ventilator.
Between 29 June 2021 and 5 July 2021, 2,872 people went into hospital with coronavirus. This shows an increase of 55.9% compared to the previous 7 days.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 29 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 128,365 losses of life in all settings.
Between 3 July 2021 and 9 July 2021, there have been 176 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test. This shows an increase of 43.1% compared to the previous 7 days.

Rep. Of Ireland 276,735 (+631) cases and 5,006 losses of life.

There have now been a total of 186,618,031 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 4,030,970. Already 170,698,970 people have recovered.

“It's about preventing being exposed to the virus, and preventing you exposing others to the virus.
Look around in your community.
Know the local numbers.
If the virus is present in your community and you're a vulnerable person and you're not vaccinated, then you are potentially going to be exposed.
So the idea that everyone is protected and it’s “kumbaya” and everything goes back to normal, I think right now is a very dangerous assumption anywhere in the world.
We’d ask governments to be really careful at this moment, not to lose the gains that we’ve made.
This virus is evolving. This virus is changing, and we need to be very careful at this moment, so that the gains that have been hard won by the behaviours and actions of our populations are sustained. Individual behaviour and government support to that behaviour is extremely important.
And I would urge extreme caution in the complete lifting of public health and social measures at this time, because there are consequences for that."
Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director, the World Health Organisation.
The UK Government can never say they weren't warned. 

We all know Funko Pop! make collectibles featuring a huge range of pop culture favourites, but did you know they also make useful merchandise for around the home, and out and about? We've been sent a selection to look at - and there really was something to suit everyone...

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 7th / 8th July 2021

The UK added 32,551 cases today (up from 27,289 a week earlier) and now has reported a total of 5,022,893 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,237,992 tests yesterday.

The counter says 45,601,445 people (86.6% of UK adults) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 34,198,779 people (64.9%) had received 2 doses and will be fully vaccinated 14 days after their 2nd dose.

2,636 people were in hospital yesterday, Wednesday 7th July, (up from 1,795 a week earlier) with 417 people using a ventilator (up from 287 a week earlier).

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 35 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days (up from 22 a week earlier), making a total of 128,336 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 275,571 cases and 5,006 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 186,089,034 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 4,021,397. Already 170,239,895 people have recovered.

"The logic of 'more people being infected is better' is I think, logic that has proven its moral emptiness and epidemiological stupidity previously."
Dr Mike Ryan, Epidemiologist and Executive Director of the World Health Organisation's Health Emergencies Programme.
Yowch. Bet the UK's lead epidemiologist, Mr Chris Whitty, is smarting a bit from that slap. Here's another... 

Over 100 scientists, including a lot of the UK's big names, have published a letter in The Lancet today, explaining why a policy that allows mass infection should not be an option.
"We believe the government is embarking on a dangerous and unethical experiment, and we call on it to pause plans to abandon mitigations on July 19, 2021."
They make 5 main arguments against:
1. It will disproportionately affect young people. They estimate 17m people are unprotected and millions of infections will occur.
"This strategy risks creating a generation left with chronic health problems and disability, the personal and economic impacts of which might be felt for decades to come."
2. "...high rates of transmission in schools and in children will lead to significant educational disruption" which will involve all pupils and staff, and disproportionately affect disadvantaged children.
3. Variants. "...preliminary modelling data suggest the government's strategy provides fertile ground for the emergence of vaccine-resistant variants. This would place all at risk, including those already vaccinated, within the UK and globally".
4. We have a massive backlog for all kinds of care, diagnostics and treatment. The strategy will have a "significant impact on health services and exhausted health-care staff who have not yet recovered from previous infection waves".
5. "Fifth, as deprived communities are more exposed to and more at risk from COVID-19, these policies will continue to disproportionately affect the most vulnerable and marginalised, deepening inequalities."
There will be a press conference tomorrow morning at 10am. That should be an interesting one... 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 5th / 6th July 2021.

The UK added 28,773 cases today (up from 20,479 a week earlier: 11,625 two weeks earlier) and now has reported a total of 4,958,868 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,160,738 tests yesterday.

The counter says 45,428,681 people (86.2% of UK adults) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 33,874,176 people (64.3% of UK adults) had received 2 doses.

2,140 people were in hospital on Sunday 4th (up from1,585 a week earlier: 1,378 two weeks earlier), with 369 using a ventilator yesterday, 5th July (up from 297 a week earlier: 227 two weeks earlier).

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 37 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 128,268 official losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 274,641 cases and 5,000 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

The number of people who have officially lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 has passed the grave milestone of 4 million - 4,003,860 humans.
There have now been a total of 185,135,819 reported cases worldwide, and already 169,432,743 people have recovered.

"Before we started putting jabs into arms, whenever we saw a rise in cases, it would inevitably be followed by a rise in hospitalisations, and tragically a rise in deaths too.
Yet today, even though cases are heading upwards, in line with what we expected, hospitalisations are at a much lower rate, and deaths are at just 1% of the figure we saw at the peak."
(At first his maths didn't work at all, then I remembered we lost twice as many hospitalised people during the peak as we did at other times. So in reality - 2% of more usual numbers, which is horrific for all involved, yet still excellent, at around 0.04%, or 1 in every 2,500 cases. I hope that's true. I hate that they fudge numbers.)
"Our vaccines are building a wall of protection against hospitalisations , and jab by jab, brick by brick, that wall is getting higher. And for those people, who sadly do find themselves having to go to hospital, we have better treatments than ever before."
{Related story about Dexamethasone being a game changer.}
"And taken together, the link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths is being severely weakened, and this means we can start to learn to live with COVID."
Sajid Javid,  UK Health Secretary.

UK (England) Briefing with Boris Monday 5th July 2021

Cases: 4,930,534 (+27,334)
Losses of life: 128,231 (+9)
In Hospital: 1,905 (Thursday 1st)
Using a ventilator: 321 (Friday 2nd)
Vaccinated 1 dose: 45,351,719 (86.1% of UK adults)
Vaccinated 2 doses: 33,726,362 (64% of UK adults)

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 3rd./ 4th July 2021.

The UK added 24,248 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,903,434 positive cases of COVID-19.

The counter says 45,274,497 people (86% of UK adults) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 33,614,952 people (63.8% of UK adults) had received 2 doses.

1,905 people were in hospital on Thursday 1st, with 300 using a ventilator.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 15 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 128,222 losses of life in all settings.

Nation: Cases last 7 days:
Wales: 3,071
Scotland: 21,146
Northern Ireland: 1,931
England: 117,062

Rep. Of Ireland 274,306 (+562) cases and 5,000 losses of life.

There have now been a total of 184,422,326 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,990,050. Already 168,744,090 people have recovered.

"We are going to have to learn to live with Covid and find ways to cope with it – just as we already do with flu.
Please read my piece in the Mail on Sunday."
Sajid Javid, UK Health Secretary, sharing an update, but only with anyone willing to read the Mail On Sunday. Thankfully, after thousands of people made the same point, he shared a screenshot. The main headline is "The economic arguments for opening up are well known. But for me the health case is equally compelling".
He mentions domestic violence and mental health, both of which are incredibly important. He makes no mention at all of Long COVID.  

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 2nd / 3rd July 2021

The UK added 27,125 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,855,169 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,121,678 tests yesterday.

The counter says 45,013,503 people (85.5% of UK adults) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 33,241,265 people (63.1% of UK adults) had received 2 doses.

1,795 people were in hospital with COVID on Wednesday 30th June, with 300 using a ventilator yesterday, 1st July.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 27 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 128,189 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 272,784 cases and 5,000 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 183,594,196 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,974,337. Already 168,034,808 people have recovered.

"The time for lofty words is over. There needs to be concerted action, backed by financial resources to mitigate the consequences of climate change, while we work to keep temperatures down and scale green innovations.
We are in a very dangerous period of this pandemic. In those countries with low vaccination coverage, terrible scenes of hospitals overflowing are again becoming the norm. But no country on Earth is out of the woods yet.
The Delta Variant is dangerous and is continuing to evolve and mutate.
Delta has been detected in at least 98 countries and is spreading quickly in countries with low and high vaccination coverage.
There are essentially two ways for countries to push back against the surge:
1. public health measures incl. surveillance, testing, physical distancing, masks, etc.
2. the world must equitably share protective gear, oxygen tests, treatments, and vaccines."
Dr Tedros, Head of the World Health Organisation.
He has asked that by September, 10% of people in every country are vaccinated, with a priority to health care workers. He also asks world leaders to work together so that by this time next year, 70% of people in every country are vaccinated. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 30th June / 1st July 2021

The UK added 27,989 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,828,463 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,251,696 tests yesterday.

The counter says 44,860,978 people (85.2% of UK adults) had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 33,048,199 people (including me!!) had received 2 doses (62.7%).

1,795 people were in hospital yesterday, Wednesday 30th June, with 287 using a ventilator.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 22 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 128,162 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 271,931 cases and 4,989 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 183,193,215 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 3,966,093. Already 167,720,509 people have recovered.

The UK's Furlough Scheme starts winding down from today. This month employers have to contribute 10% of furloughed worker's pay. Next month that will rise to 20%. For any business who can't afford that, or for whom it's becoming obvious life "won't be the same as before", this will be the time hard decisions may have to be made. It'll take a couple of weeks before we see the true effect, and next month it will only be more pronounced.
Sorry to anyone to is in danger of losing their job or their business. Sorry to anyone who already has. 

Foul Play are in the business of creating experiences to remember, and with COVID putting a pause on a lot of in-person fun, they've come up with card-based murder mystery games that can be played again and again. Suitable for 2-5 players aged around 8+, each pack also has 2 ways to play, so in essence you have 2 different games - Good Cop or Bad Cop. 

Foul Play sent us both of their current games for review - Manor House Murder and Once Upon A Crime (released 1st July!)... 

There is nothing unusual in the box, just a pack of really nicely decorated game cards, and 4 Instruction Cards. The images are great. Everything is bold and brightly coloured, and the characters are excellent. It's very modern and the drawings are actually a lot of fun.

Each game has a scenario, or backstory. Once Upon A Crime is set in Storybook Land, and Manor House Murder is more of your traditional Agatha Christie - but will the Butler do it? 

The instructions are a little clunky - sorry guys. Foul Play is in some ways like Cluedo, but in many ways more like Rummy, and you need to know the aim, which we didn't find clear in the instructions:
Bad Cop - The aim of the game is to collect in your hand 4 cards which go together. 3 evidence cards (A, B and C) and a suspect who can be adequately framed as the murderer...
God Cop - The aim of the game is to have seen all 3 pieces of evidence and then locate the suspect who matches. You need the suspect in hand to solve the murder.